Rural Doc Presents Grand Rounds

Dec 05, 2016

R. Russell Thomas Jr., DO, MPH presented a lecture on December 1, 2016 as part of the UTMB Health Department of Family Medicine's Grand Rounds. Dr. Thomas was the Texas Academy of Family Physicians (TAFP) 2014-2015 Family Physician of the Year.

Dr. Thomas presented "Country Medicine Revisited: The Evolution of Rural Medicine Over the Past 30 Years" and shared his thoughts and experiences as a small-town primary care physician.

Dr. Thomas earned his Master of Public Health from University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston, and a Doctor of Osteopathy from Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed a residency in family medicine at Southwest Memorial Hospital in Houston, now known as Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital.
Following completion of his residency, Dr. Thomas returned to Eagle Lake to practice. Eagle Lake is a small community of 3,700 about 60 miles west of Houston. Having grown up in Eagle Lake, Dr. Thomas is actively involved in his community and believes that rural family physicians must commit not just to their patients and their families, but to their communities. Dr. Thomas is also grateful to have had the opportunity to practice with his father for 17 years.

In addition to his practice in Eagle Lake, Dr. Thomas worked with the Central Texas Medicine Foundation Family Practice Residency Program from 2000-2002 to establish a rural rotation. He precepts medical students interested in family medicine and has faculty appointments with University of Texas Houston School of Medicine and the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine. He served on the Texas Board of Medical Examiners, the Board of Directors of the Federation of State Medical Boards, the Board of Directors of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), and the Maintenance of Licensure Committee of the American Board of Medical Specialties.

This presentation was supported by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board-funded SCOPE: Student Continuity of Practice Experience project and the C. E. "Woody" Woodson Endowed Professorship in Family Medicine.